Utility Planet is the official blog for the column of the same name in The Spectrum Monitor. It replaces Utility World in the discontinued Monitoring Times magazine. Utilities are all VLF/LF/MF/HF (and sometimes low-band VHF) radio communications except broadcasting, CB, and non-emergency amateur. If you understood the last sentence, you know enough to read this blog.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The following Navtex message was issued by the US Government and copied by Tom Sevart:

ZCZC FA57

UNCLASSIFIED//

MSGID/GENADMIN/NGA NAVSAFETY
WA DC//

RMKS/

WRN N ATLC.

POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERNS IN
THE AREA SURROUNDING THE WRECKAGE OF TITANIC.

1. THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF
THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC MAY RESULT IN SUBSTANTIALLY MORE VESSEL TRAFFIC IN
VICINITY OF THE WK SITE ON OR AROUND 14 APR. PASSENGER AND EXPLORATION VESSELS
MAY BE KEEPING STA IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER POSING A POTENTIAL SAFETY
CONCERN.

2. VESSELS ARE ASKED TO
REFRAIN, WHERE OPERATIONALLY POSSIBLE, FROM DISCHARGING GARBAGE, BLACKWATER, GRAYWATER
AND ANY OTHER INCIDENTAL DISCHARGES TO THE OPERATION OF A VESSEL WITHIN 15
MILES OF AREA BOUND BY 41-55-19N 050-10-00W, 41-55-05N 049-43-11W, 41-32-07N
049-43-38W, 41-32-21N 051-10-17W.

3. VESSELS ARE ASKED TO
CONCENTRATE ANY DROP WEIGHTS OR OTHER MATERIALS NECESSARY FOR THE NORMAL DESCENT
AND ASCENT OF SUMBERSIBLE CRAFT WITHIN 100 METERS OF THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS: A.
41-44-08N 049-56-46W. B. 41-43-51N 049-56-32W. C. 41-43-58N 049-57-06W. D.
41-43-41N 049-57-01W.

4. VESSELS ARE ASKED TO
UTILIZE BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS FOR DROP WEIGHT BAGS AND OTHER ITEMS THAT MUST
BE LEFT ON THE BOTTOM DURING NORMAL SUBMERSIBLE OPERATIONS.

5. VESSELS ARE ALSO ASKED TO
REFRAIN FROM INSTALLING, ATTACHING OR PLACING ADDITIONAL PLAQUES, MEMORIALS, OTHER
TEMP OR PERMANENT FIXTURES, HOWEVER WELL INTENTIONED, ON THE R.M.S. TITANIC.

The RMS Titanic sank 100 years ago this April 15th. Many events have been planned or are in progress. A lot of these are on the radio.

1. UK: GB100MGY will be on-air from Fort Perch Rock on April 14 and 15. MGY is the Marconi Wireless call used by the Titanic on its single doomed voyage. From UDXF:

We have special permission from OFCOM to use the 501 to 504 khz band from 12th to 18th April from above location at FPR using above callsign. Please listen out for us on around 502 khz CW. We will be on air on this frequency most evenings and overnite on 14th/15th April, the Titanic's anniversary of its sad demise. We will be using Marine radio equipment from Marconi, JRC, Nera with a long wire between fort and lighthouse and a 6oo foot loop aerial around the fort. For those of you without a 500khz band NOV we will be be doing crossband qso's on 3566 khz or 7066 khz.

2. Germany: Deutsche Wetterdienst weather station will operate its 147.3 kHz station in Morse telegraphy from 2230 UTC on 14 April to 0200 UTC on the 15th. During the Silent Periods observed on the 500 kHz maritime CW band, the names of former maritime mobile radio officers will be sent in QRSS3, a weak-signal mode in which a single dit lasts 3 seconds. Crossband HF operation will be by DL0SWA.

3. Belfast: GI2012MGY is on-air from the SS Nomadic April 12-15. GI100MGY will be on all HF amateur bands. Most operation on the 14th and 15th will be CW. A silent period will be taken at the precise time the Titanic went to the bottom.

5. Belgium: Special event operations with special QSLs on the 14th and 15th by OO100MGY, Antwerp; OR100MGY Knokke-Heist; and OT100MGY, Londerzee. Special certificate for hams working all three.

6. United States: Special event operations by W0S, MO, on April 13-15. More details here. W6MGY, Pacific Arc & Spark Society, CA, 30 and 40 meter CW on April 10-15. Special events at the Chatham, MA Marconi Center and mobile from the old transmit site at Wellfleet. Special event at the National Capital Radio & Television Museum in MD, with amateur call sign W3R.

7. Canada: Amateur VO1MCE will "re-enact" the Titanic radio history made on the night of the sinking in real time April 14-15. VE0MGY is set to operate from a cruise ship at Titanic's last position and communicate with VO1MCE and others. Several special observances will be made in the Cape Race area, closest land point to the Titanic sinking. More information on these is here. Admiralty House Museum, St. Johns, will be on-air working stations for 24 hours from its radio room.